


Simple Pleasures

by Angel Ascending (angel_in_ink)



Series: Short and Sweet (Fics of About 1000 Words or Less) [23]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Caretaking, Comfort, Fluff, Just Completely Self-Indulgent, M/M, Modern AU, Sickfic, the fluffiest fluff that ever did fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 10:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17302859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel_in_ink/pseuds/Angel%20Ascending
Summary: There was nothing like being wrapped in quilts, next to a roaring fire, while a snow storm raged outside. It was a simple pleasure in life, and Fjord had learned to enjoy simple pleasures when he could. The circumstances, however, were less than ideal.





	Simple Pleasures

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Critical Prompts prompt number 34:
> 
> There was nothing like being wrapped in quilts, next to a roaring fire, while a snow storm raged outside.
> 
> Character: Fjord

There was nothing like being wrapped in quilts, next to a roaring fire, while a snow storm raged outside. It was a simple pleasure in life, and Fjord had learned to enjoy simple pleasures when he could. The circumstances, however, were less than ideal.

Fjord sneezed, then winced, because sneezing hurt. Swallowing hurt. Honestly simply being awake was sort of painful at the moment. Fjord burrowed further into his nest of quilts and closed his eyes, utterly exhausted. He had spent the night in bed, trying not to cough, feeling utterly miserable, hoping whatever bug he had was the kind that would just go away on his own. Instead the escalating pain in his throat had finally prompted him, sometime before dawn, to text Caleb and ask for a ride to the walk in the clinic. Caleb had rushed over, bundled him up against the cold, and got him to the clinic, the pharmacy and then to Caleb’s place just before the snow began to fall. 

Fjord heard footsteps, then the rattle of a bag and the gentle thunk of a mug being set down on the coffee table. 

“Fjord? I brought you tea, and a glass of water for your pills.” Caleb’s voice was muffled by the congestion in Fjord’s ears and the layers of quilts.

“I hate pills,” Fjord muttered as he reluctantly unearthed his head and one arm from the quilts. He looked up at Caleb, who looked back at Fjord with an expression that could only be described as tired and fond.

“Ja, I know, but you hate being sick more.” Caleb sat down on the couch and put the glass of water in Fjord’s hand, along with half a dozen pills. “There, we have decongestants, ibuprofen, and antibiotics, just as the doctor ordered.”

“Antibiotics should be smaller,” Fjord grumbled, staring at the pink pill that was nearly as large as the first joint on his middle finger. “They just want sick people to suffer.”

Caleb just snickered and patted Fjord’s arm through the quilts. “You are grumpy when you are sick. It’s almost cute.” He nodded toward the pills in Fjord’s hand. “If I could crush them up and put them in ice cream for you I would, but here we are.”

Fjord sighed and gave in, tossing back the pills like he was doing a shot, following them with the entire glass of water. When he was done he sagged against Caleb, who carded his fingers through Fjord’s hair.

“Sorry I woke you up this morning,” Fjord rasped, then winced.

“Shhh, it’s fine,” Caleb said soothingly. “I’m glad you texted me, I would hate to think of you snowed in at your apartment, suffering all alone. Strep infections can do some serious damage, untreated. Have I told you about the time I had strep? They kept me for over three hours in the waiting room, and I’m pretty sure they only finally put me in a exam room because I gave up on dignity and started crying when the pain in my throat spread to my ears. Or maybe it was because Nott threatened to stab someone with her knitting needles. I was a little bit out of it by that point.”

Fjord chuckled and then winced as he reached for the mug of tea next to his empty glass of water. “So what was the diagnoses?”

“Strep throat and a double ear infection. They gave me Vicodin and antibiotics and I spent a whole week being either slightly stoned or deeply unconscious.”

“I gotta admit, being unconscious sounds pretty good right now.” Fjord took a sip of tea, tasting lavender and lemon and ginger along with the sweetness of honey. “Is this one of Caduceus’s blends?”

“Of course. The honey is Jester’s doing though.”

Fjord hummed appreciatively as he drank more tea, the heat of it and the smoothness of the honey soothing his throat. “We should go visit them when the weather’s better. Get everyone together. Have another road trip.”

“Mmmm, we should. But that is for later.” Caleb plucked the empty mug of tea from Fjord’s hand and set it down on the coffee table. “Now is for sleeping and getting better.”

Fjord made to move away from Caleb and Caleb shifted closer. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Don’t want to get you sick,” Fjord mumbled.

Caleb just chuckled softly and put an arm around Fjord, giving him a kiss on the forehead. “I’ve been exposed to you plenty already. If it happens, it happens. I’ll just bring Nott with me to the clinic again, get jumped to the head of the queue.”

Fjord was too tired to argue, not that he really wanted to argue. He was comfortable in his quilt nest, there was a fire in the fireplace, and while there was snow blanketing the world outside he was cozy in his boyfriend’s arms. Between all that and the fact that the ibuprofen seemed to be kicking in, there was little more that he could ask for. He rested his head on Caleb’s shoulder, closed his eyes, and let the crackle of the fire and the sound of the storm outside lull him to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I just got over strep throat with a sinus infection and there was nothing more in the world I wanted than someone to take care of me, so yeah, here we are.
> 
> Caleb's story is my story, except I didn't have a goblin mom threatening to stab people. I *did* have knitting needles with me at the time though.


End file.
